BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

87
Farrier 2008 Hay Hook Sauvignon
Blanc-Sémillon (Alexander Valley);
$18. Mainly Sauvignon Blanc, with 18%
Sémillon, this is a very fruity young wine. It
brims with Meyer lemon, pineapple, pear, peach,
apricot and lime flavors, but is rescued from
being a fruit bomb by crisp acidity and a nice
minerality. There’s just a touch of sweet oak for
richness. —S.H.
87
Kunde 2009 Magnolia Lane Sauvignon
Blanc (Sonoma Valley); $15.
This bottling by fine producer Kunde always
shows a grassy, hay-like note to the citrus fruit
flavors, so if that’s your style, you’ll like it. The
wine itself is only lightly oaked, and feels crisp
and clean in the mouth, as well as dry. The low
alcohol is a pleasure. —S.H.
87
Stevenot 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(California); $15. A really nice Sauvignon
Blanc, so easy to drink for its dryness, tart
crispness and minerality. It feels clean and palatestimulating,
and offers enough citrus, honeysuckle
and vanilla flavors to satisfy. —S.H.
86
Honig 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(Napa Valley); $16. Tastes just a little
sweet in citrus and tropical fruit flavors, but the
acidity is nice, almost tingly, and the finish is
clean. Fine as a cocktail sipper and with spicy
Asian noodles with chicken or prawns. —S.H.
86
White Cottage Ranch 2009 Sauvignon
Blanc (Napa Valley); $24.
This clean, zesty Sauvignon Blanc has plenty of
attractive white peach, green apple, citrus and
vanilla flavors. It’s a little on the sweet fruit juice
side of the spectrum, but sure is tasty. —S.H.
85
Rutherford Hill 2009 Sauvignon
Blanc (Napa Valley); $18. Here’s a
good Sauvignon Blanc that will go well with a
wide range of foods. Clean, crisp and a little
sweet, it has pleasant pineapple, lemon, lime and
vanilla flavors. —S.H.
85
Windsor Sonoma 2009 Sauvignon
Blanc (Russian River Valley); $15. A
little one-dimensional, but for an everyday sipper,
it’s pretty good for the price. Shows slightly
sweet, juicy pineapple, peach, kiwi fruit and Asian
pear flavors. —S.H.
84
St. Clement 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(Napa Valley); $16. Very dry, tart in
acidity and a little thin in flavor, with modest citrus,
grass and gooseberry flavors. Not showing
much, but it’s super clean and zesty, a nice cocktail
sipper. —S.H.
83
Bogle 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (California);
$9. Good citrus, lemongrass
and green apple flavors in this wine, but it’s rather
sugary, with a fruit juice simplicity. Yet the price is
right, if you don’t mind a slightly sweet white
wine. —S.H.
83
Starmont 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(Napa Valley); $18. Barely ripe, with
green citrus and feline spray aromas and flavors.
On the plus side is extreme dryness and crisp
acidity. You’ll either love or hate this wine. —S.H.
82
Sera Fina 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(Sierra Foothills); $15. This unoaked
wine is tart and simple, with sweet and sour flavors
of oranges and pineapples, like fruit juice
with alcohol. —S.H.
PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO
88
Delicato 2009 Pinot Grigio (California);
$7. Made in an appealingly dry,
tartly crisp style, this is a fine cocktail sipper to
drink with appetizers. It impresses for its rich citrus
fruit, lemongrass, mineral and papaya flavors,
and as dry as they are, the finish is honeyed. Production
was 21,000 cases. Best Buy. —S.H.
86
Occasio 2009 Del Arroyo Vineyard
Pinot Gris (Livermore Valley); $16.
Try this superrich wine as a twist on Chardonnay.
It’s full bodied and creamy, with intricate flavors
of tropical fruits, limes, oranges, white chocolate,
vanilla and cinnamon spice. Straddles the border
between dry and off-dry. —S.H.
82
Château Julien 2009 Pinot Grigio
(California); $12. Simple and clean,
with sweet and sour orange and pineapple flavors.
An inexpensive everyday wine to have by
the glass with Chinese food. —S.H.
RIESLING
89
Koehler 2009 Dry Riesling (Santa
Ynez Valley); $18. Don’t confuse this
with the winery’s regular Riesling, which is offdry.
This is their dry bottling, and it’s a superior
wine. Shows vital, crisp acidity that makes the
mouth water, then follows up with rich citrus,
green apple, Asian pear and peppery spice flavors
that are tantalizing and complex. One of the
more compelling dry Rieslings out there, but the
100-case production will make it hard to find.
Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
85
Jekel 2009 Riesling (Monterey);
$12. Made in an off-dry style, this Riesling
has honeyed flavors of a fruit juice blend of
oranges, peaches and apples. It’s simple, but crisp
acidity contributes vital balance. —S.H.
84
Dashe Cellars 2009 McFadden
Farm Riesling (Potter Valley); $20.
Tastes off-dry, with a honeyed sweetness to the
ripe peach and green apple fruit. Crisp acidity
provides needed balance. If you like your Rieslings
slightly sweet, it’s for you. —S.H.
VIOGNIER
92
Jorian Hill 2008 Viognier (Santa
Ynez Valley); $30. One of the driest
Viogniers in California, and also one of the most
elegant. Doesn’t explode with exotic richness the
way some Viogniers do, but it’s a very fine white
wine, noble and minerally, with nuances of tropical
and citrus fruits. Really opens up a whole new
direction for Viognier. —S.H.
92
Tangent 2009 Paragon Vineyard
Viognier (Edna Valley); $17. Almost
all of California’s best Viogniers are oaked, but
not this one. As with Tangent’s previous bottlings,
it just shows that this particular wine doesn’t need
wood to be opulent and completely satisfying.
With brisk, clean acidity, it displays complex citrus,
white peach, green apple, wildflower and
mineral flavors. What a wonderful wine, and a
worthy followup to the sensational 2008. Editors’
Choice. —S.H.
88
Kunde 2008 Viognier (Sonoma
Valley); $15. Shows the exotic fruitiness
of Viognier, with a blast of tangerines,
pineapples, Meyer lemons, limes and green
apples, with flowery honeysuckle and jasmine
notes. The wine shows subtle oak notes, but is
mainly notable for its forward flavors, elegant
dryness and crisply bright acidity. Editors’
Choice. —S.H.
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